As I’m sure most of you know, I am approaching the end of this incredible journey. In fact, I can hardly believe it, but I will arrive at final debrief in less than a week.
It seems like it was 10 years ago that I stepped off the plane in Quito, Ecuador. I remember having no clue what to expect the next 9 months to hold, and I certainly never could have even imagined what God had in store for me.
Over those next 9 months, I made mistakes, I laughed, I cried more than I have ever cried in my life, I had moments where I didn’t believe I could make it to the end, I had moments where I never wanted to go home, I had moments where I didn’t want to live with more than one other person ever again in my life, and I had moments where I couldn’t imagine living without the community I was living in. God stripped me to my core and showed me all my wounds and the ways I needed to grow, and challenged me and grew me more than I ever thought I could handle. He placed people into my life who have each taken a place in my heart, and has allowed me to experience things, both difficult and incredible, that I will never forget.
And now, I am getting ready to step off that plane in Canada in two weeks, and I think there are a few things everyone back home needs to know before I do that.
1. I’m still Maya, but I’m definitely not the same as I was when I left 9 months ago.
As I said above, these past 9 months have been full of life-changing experiences, countless emotional breakdowns, difficult struggles, and incredible celebrations. I have seen things that have shattered my heart as well as things that filled my soul. I have been constantly surrounded by a community where every person is seeking the Lord with me and encouraging me to grow and be more like Jesus. I have been stripped of all my comforts and luxuries in life, and have truly seen that the Lord is enough. Honestly, it’s pretty much impossible to go through this experience and not be radically changed.
I’m still the same Maya who loves music, is intensely passionate, loves getting dressed up, and loves the Lord. It’s just now, I’m not the same Maya who would rather listen to music than read her Bible. I’m not the same Maya who was passionate out of anger and on the basis of my own beliefs. I’m not the same Maya who allowed myself to believe the lie that my outward appearance was all people saw, and that if I lost that no one would care to see what’s on the inside. I’m not the same Maya who truly loved the Lord and thought I was living deeply for Him, but my relationship was really just superficial.
I’m now the Maya who craves the Word every day. I’m the Maya who is passionate out of a deep love for others, and whose passions are now the Lord’s, not my own. I’m the Maya who still loves to put on high heels, make up, and a dress, but knows that God created me to be a lot of wonderful things, and my physical appearance is not one of them. I’m the Maya who seeks the Lord, reads His Word, and hears His voice, turning away from my flesh and walking instead by His Spirit.
9 months is a long time, and not only have I changed, but I’m sure a lot of you have changed, too. These changes might bring us closer together than we were before, but they may also make us drift apart. And honestly, that’s okay.
2. It’s going to be hard for me to adjust, and I need grace.
I am so, so excited to go home. I’m excited to see my friends and family, wear the clothes I love to wear, and do the things I love to do. But the thing is, the World Race has been my life for 9 months, not just a mission trip. I have adjusted to constantly moving around, never knowing what to expect, living with anywhere from 6 to 50 other people at all times, and constantly being immersed in other cultures. It became normal for me to lay down and try to sleep on an Indian train platform as goats walked by and people crowded around me taking pictures because they’ve never seen a white person before. I have lived a life far-off from the North American norm, and I’m honestly not sure I remember how to live in North America.
It’s going to be hard, scary, and exciting for me to adjust back to life in Canada, and I need patience and grace from those around me. There might be a night where I get all dressed up and go out with you, have a great time, and then suddenly start crying because I miss the simplicity of the Race. There may be times where I feel angry at the excess around me and the lack of gratitude. Sometimes I might want to stay in my apartment all day, not coming out from under my blankets because I deeply miss the friends that became so dear to my heart over those 9 months.
I know my return home will be so full of joy and excitement, and I truly can’t wait, but I would be lying if I said it won’t be hard.
3. I can’t wait to tell you all about my 9 months, but just know that it will take a while.
I know as soon as I get back, the number one question I get will be: “How was your trip?”
I understand why people will ask this, as it seems like a reasonable thing to say, but as I mentioned in my second point, the World Race wasn’t just a mission trip, it was my life. Every single day was full of moments I want to share, some big and some small, but that is almost a year’s worth of moments to share. I want so badly to tell you all about my experiences and what God did in and through me, but if you ask me that question in the foyer at church or in passing when we bump into each other at the grocery store, please know that you’ll get the simplified, surface level answer, because that’s all I will be able to provide. If you want to hear all about it, ask if I want to grab coffee or something along those lines, and not only will I be happy to tell you all about my past 9 months, but I will be so excited to hear about yours as well!
4. I love you all, and I can’t wait to see you!!!
I think that pretty much sums it up! You’re all great, and I’m so excited to be back! Just two more weeks!! 
